Patriots place AJ Brown on injured reserve, sidelining him at least four games

The Patriots' receiver room will be without its centerpiece for the next month. New England is placing AJ Brown on injured reserve because of the high ankle sprain he suffered in the season-opening loss to Seattle, which sidelines him for a minimum of four games, per Adam Schefter.

Brown's stint on IR covers Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Buffalo and Las Vegas, with the earliest possible return coming Oct. 18. That opens a real opportunity for second-year wideout Kyle Williams, who now steps into a larger share of targets. DaQuan Jones will take Brown's spot on the roster.

An MRI earlier in the week confirmed the diagnosis after Brown left the opener in a walking boot, so the IR move is a procedural step rather than new injury information. Still, it changes the shape of New England's offense for a month: the Patriots acquired Brown to be their top target, and his absence pushes the passing game onto a group that will have to absorb his snaps by committee.